


Being a Good Father

by kakotheres



Series: Just Write! Fluff Bingo 2019 [6]
Category: Glee
Genre: Ballet, Fluff, Gen, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 20:34:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20070181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kakotheres/pseuds/kakotheres
Summary: Burt Hummel signs a young Kurt up for dance lessons because Burt Hummel always has his son's back.





	Being a Good Father

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Just Write! Discord server, Fluff Bingo 2019.  
Prompt: Kids

Burt Hummel always knew that he wanted to be a father. His dreams were simple – he was going to fall in love with the right girl, get a job that could support his family, buy a house and raise his kids to be good people. In Elizabeth, he’d found the perfect woman for him. She was softness surrounding a steel core, a strong sense of right and wrong and the ability to focus on the good in the world around her. She loved him, and he did everything in his power to make her happy. With her by his side, he was ready to face anything the world could throw at him.

When Elizabeth told him she was pregnant, Burt was terrified and elated all at the same time, his fears and dreams mixed together in a mess of conflicting emotions. He imagined a son: someone he could take to games and teach to throw the perfect spiral. He worried about making sure his son grew up to be a good man, someone who knew how to look people in the eye and shake their hand. He thought about Hummel Tires & Lube becoming Hummel and Sons, the family business a legacy that could be passed on from generation to generation.

He imagined a daughter, and the possibility filled him with anxiety. Burt didn’t have any sisters. His experience with girls growing up was mostly constrained to admiring them from afar. He understood jerseys and baseball caps, not tutus and prom dresses. Having a girl was possibly the most terrifying thing he could imagine. Elizabeth just laughed at him, pointing out that every girl should know how to change their oil and fix a tire. He would have plenty to teach their daughters. And it wouldn’t hurt a boy to know how to write poetry, how being gentle didn’t mean being weak. She reassured him that no matter what, they were a team. They would raise this kid together and everything would turn out alright.

And then the universe went and threw Burt a curveball with Kurt. From the beginning, Kurt was a strong-minded child who planned on taking over the world. Burt could see so much of Elizabeth in his son – he had her eyes, her hair, her voice, her strength, and her kindness. But he certainly got Burt’s stubbornness and quick temper. Burt loved every single bit of his kid…but he didn’t really understand him. Burt had gotten a son…but not quite the son that he had dreamed of. Instead of cleats, Kurt wanted sensible heels. Instead of baseball cards and hot wheels, Kurt wanted new fabrics and an audience. And instead of signing his kid up for tee-ball, Burt Hummel was headed down to Claire’s Dance Studio to sign Kurt up for a ballet class.

When Elizabeth had first suggested that Burt be the one to sign Kurt up, he had objected. Strongly. Signing his kid up for ballet class seemed very much like a mother’s job, Burt had argued. Elizabeth had just looked him dead in the eye, hand on one hip, her mouth pulled in a fierce line.

“Burt,” she said, “our son has a tough life ahead of him. You and I both know it. He’s not going to grow up to be a typical Ohio boy.” She let her hands drop to her sides and turned away from him, gazing off into the distance at something he couldn’t see. “He’s going to need to know that you’ve always been in his corner and always will be. One hundred percent. A son shouldn’t have to doubt his father’s love.”

They stood in silence for a moment, neither moving. Then Burt stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms, letting out a deep sigh. Her hands came up to rest on his forearms as he inhaled, letting the soft scent of her center him. She was right, as much as he hated to admit it. His comfort should never come before being there for his son. This was clearly what Kurt wanted, so Burt would make sure it happened.

“Ok. I’ll go sign him up tomorrow.”

*****

And so, the next day Burt found himself pushing the door open to the dance studio. The entry room was occupied by several women talking in small groups scattered throughout. Most turned their heads as soon as the bell above the door rang, and he could feel the weight of their questioning eyes on him. They were well-dressed, with perfectly manicured nails and bright eyeshadow. Former prom queens and beauty pageant winners, now raising their daughters to follow in their footsteps. Burt felt out of place in his worn-out jeans and work shirt, a streak of engine oil staining the pocket.

Burt pulled his baseball cap off, crushing it in one hand and rubbing the other over his head. He cleared his throat. “Um, can someone…”

A petit woman with fiery red hair done up in a messy ponytail walked into the room from a door to Burt’s left. “Hi, my name’s Claire, I’m the owner – can I help you?”

“Yeah,” Burt said. “I’m here to sign my kid up for classes?” He shoved his hat back on his head, shifting his weight to one foot.

“Of course!” She smiled brightly at him. “Here, you can come right over here and take one of these – it’s the list of classes and prices and expectations and things.” She led him over to a small table at the front of the room. The murmur of conversation around him quieted, the women clearly keen to hear what they could. The woman, Claire, handed him a few pieces of paper and a pen. “And here – can you fill out this information sheet for me? How old is your child?”

“Six,” Burt said, glancing over the papers she had given him. Jeez, there seemed to be a lot of things he’d need to plan on buying for Kurt if he decided to stick with this. Costumes for every recital? Couldn’t they just…reuse them? “My wife was thinking ballet would be a good start?”

Claire beamed. “Certainly! That’s a little older than most beginners, but we can work with that. What’s your daughter’s name?”

“Kurt,” Burt responded without meeting a beat. “He’s looking forward to it.” He looked Claire straight in the eye, waiting to see how she’d respond.

Conversation in the room ceased. Burt listened to the soft whoosh of air rushing through the vents. The muffled sound of an instructor could be heard speaking in another room somewhere. A car horn blared. No one moved.

“Oh!” Claire finally broke the silence. “Well…that’s great! We’re so excited to have him join us. So, if you could just fill out that form and leave it in that box over there when you’re done – I have to get back to my students, but I’ll be in touch to let you know the details.” She gave him a warm smile, then turned and wandered down a hallway, disappearing from view.

Burt took the pen and bent over the table, filling out the form. Once he was finished, he straightened with a stretch and a groan. He turned to go put the form in the indicated box, but he found his path blocked by one of the women. Her mouth was pulled tight, a hard look in her eyes.

“You’re not actually going to sign your son up for dance classes, are you?” She asked, her brow arched.

He looked back at her, then down at the form in his hand. “I’m pretty sure that’s definitely what this form is for. If you’ll excuse me…” He made to walk around her, but she shifted so that she was still in his path.

“It’s just…this is a dance studio. And this is Lima, Ohio.” She fiddled with the ring on her left hand. “This is no place for boys.”

Burt pulled his shoulders back, clenching his jaw. “My son wants to do this. He’s very excited about it. So, I’m going to make sure that he gets the opportunity.” Burt walked over and dropped the form in the box, ignoring the stares of everyone else in the room.

“But aren’t you worried that he’ll…” someone asked from the other side of the room.

Burt turned to face the room. “How about you worry about your kids, and I’ll worry about mine?” And with that, he touched a hand to the brim of his hat and walked out the door.

Burt might be worried about a lot of things. He was worried about how business was faring down at the garage. He was worried about how the Browns were going to do this season, with the draft picks they had. He was worried about how the world was going to treat Kurt, and how Kurt was going to handle being who he was in small-town Ohio. He was worried about the thousand of mistakes that he might make as a father.

But Burt wasn’t worried about who Kurt was going to become.

Because Burt would always be there for his kid -that’s what a good father did.

No matter what.

**Author's Note:**

> Struggled a lot with the inspiration for this one - not sure it quite fits the prompt, but hey Kurt's a kid in this so that counts, right?


End file.
